


To the fair we go

by rubberglue



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-24
Updated: 2010-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-11 05:50:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/109097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubberglue/pseuds/rubberglue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never ask Gwen out in front of Arthur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To the fair we go

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "A young village man asks Gwen to the local festival in view of Arthur (Envy)" at Camelot Love's Seven Sins Drabble Tag.

"It's appalling! I was standing there, me, the crown prince of Camelot, and that young kid decides to flirt with Gwen! Does he bow to me? No. Does he greet me? No. Obviously Gwen was the only one in his thoughts!" Arthur threw himself dramatically into his chair and flung an arm over his eyes.

"You should know what it's like to only have Gwen in your thoughts," muttered Merlin as he polished Arthur's boots. He had no idea how a simple trip to the village had resulted in such dirty boots - boots he had just cleaned the day before, "Anyway, weren't you in disguise? Your disguise must have worked very well!"

"That isn't the point! The point is," Arthur took a deep breath, "the point is that this young man, this rude young man who clearly lacks any sense of boundaries, comes up to Gwen and starts talking to her."

"So … you're saying no one is allowed to talk to Gwen?"

"Don't you listen? That isn't what I'm saying at all." growled Arthur as he grabbed his goblet off the table and gulped the content down. "What I'm saying is that you don't go up to some lady and start grabbing her hands and going on about her beauty and how he wants to take her to the fair. And you know what is worse? Gwen! She smiles encouragingly at him."

"Well, Gwen has always been friendly …"

"I swear I saw her flutter her eyelashes at him. Now that I think about it, he was playing with her curls! Twirling them around his finger while he nattered on about how wonderful the fair was going to be."

"Wait a minute, you're telling me that Gwen allowed this person to …"

"And she sways into his arms and smiles into his eyes." By this time, Arthur was pacing frantically across his room, gesticulating wildly, "And they are kissing! Right there in the middle of the village. Then Gwen whispers how nice it is to be with someone she doesn't need to hide and they gaze at each other and he marries her and they run off into the sunset."

Arthur flopped onto his bed and started groaning.

"Ok … let me get this straight. Charles, the young candlemaker, went up to Gwen and asked her to go with him to the fair today. Then he grabs her hands and Gwen flirts back and they start kissing in front of you. And then they get married. And all this happened in the 2 hours you were in the village this morning."

Arthur rolled onto his stomach and groaned again as he buried his face in his pillow. Merlin can barely make out the words "life" and "over".

"Arthur," Merlin gave the prince a sharp poke, "you are being ridiculous! This doesn't sound like Gwen at all! In fact, I think Gwen is somewhere in the castle right now. I'll go ..."

Jolting up from the bed, Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm.

"Don't you dare!" Merlin looked unblinkingly at Arthur, "Right. Fine. Maybe it didn't happen that way."

"Uh-huh"

"Alright. Maybe they didn't get married."

"Yes …"

"And maybe there wasn't any touching involved."

Merlin grunted and leaned on the wardrobe. He tried, unsuccessfully, to do his best impression of Gaius's eyebrow. There wouldn't have been a better time to pull it off.

"Maybe I just wanted some sympathy," pouts Arthur as he threw himself back on the bed, completely ignoring Merlin's eyebrow contortions.

****

"Oh yes, Charles asked me to the fair today. Did Arthur tell you?" Gwen asked Merlin, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Hmm. I supposed you turned him down."

"Of course! Said I was going with you in fact," smiled Gwen as the two of them strolled through the busy fair.


End file.
